September is National Preparedness Month (NPM) when Americans are encouraged to take action to prepare, now and throughout the year, for the types of emergencies that could affect us where we live, work, and visit.

The Ready Campaign recently released the 2017 NPM theme “Disasters Don’t Plan Ahead. You Can.” and toolkit, which includes graphics, hashtags, and social media content to help spread the word to others.

In addition to the overall theme, FEMA and the Ready campaign will be promoting different preparedness actions each week:

Week 1: September 1-9 – Make a Plan for Yourself, Family and Friends.

Week 2: September 10-16 – Plan to Help Your Neighbor and Community.

Week 3: September 17-23 – Practice and Build Out Your Plans.

Week 4: September 24-30 – Get Involved! Be a Part of Something Larger.

Also consider getting our disaster preparedness and first aid manuals for your family, co-workers, customers, church members, neighbors, events and training sessions for only $4.50 U.S.each delivered (70% off $14.99 list) on 10 copies & up and we can customize them for free!

The 266-page paperback provides quick-reference instructional bullets in 2-color format with tips on what people should think about and do before, during and after specific types of emergencies and disasters (e.g. hurricanes, hazardous material spills, nuclear incidents, active shooter scenarios, etc.), as well as how to administer basic first aid.

Fedhealth can ship red books within 24 hours of your order … plus we (Bill & Janet Liebsch) will donate a portion of bulk book orders to the U.S. First Responders Association in support of our nation’s first responders and veterans.

Learn how to order “IT’S A DISASTER!” books (or our 280-page ebook in PDF) or call Fedhealth at 520-907-2153. Stay safe out there, j & B

September is recognized as National Preparedness Month (NPM) which serves as a reminder that we all must take action to prepare, now and throughout the year, for the types of emergencies that could affect us where we live, work, and also where we visit.

Due to the success of last year’s theme, the ReadyCampaign has decided “Don’t Wait, Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today” will be returning for 2016 NPM.

Making a family emergency communication plan is a great way to prepare for disasters, but testing your plan is even better so you’ll be familiar with how to respond.

Week 5: Sep 25-30 – Lead up to National PrepareAthonDay(Be counted and register your preparedness event for National PrepareAthon Day!)

National PrepareAthon! Day culminates NPM on September 30, 2016. Individuals, families, organizations and businesses are encouraged to use America’s PrepareAthon! materials as you plan, host and support events, drills and training sessions throughout the month and on 9/30.

Learn more about National Preparedness Month and find Ready’s NPM toolkit, graphics and more at www.ready.gov/september.

September is National Preparedness Month(NPM or #NatlPrep) and we – along with thousands of private, public and nonprofit organizations – are encouraging Americans to take time to help your community get better prepared for disasters and emergencies of all kinds.

NPM wraps up with America’s PrepareAthon! as a national day of action (on 9/30 or anytime) when individuals, families, organizations and businesses have preparedness events, drills and training sessions to help turn “knowing into doing”.

A really fun way to get involved with NPM is to participate in the 30 Days, 30 Ways disaster preparedness game.

#30Days30Ways was started by the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency(CRESA) in WA with the goal of challenging people to do one basic task per day to enhance their personal readiness for emergencies.

Each September, CRESA posts one simple readiness task each day and winners are selected from among the participants. The tasks are creative, fun and educational using an interactive social media based approach to reach an audience who may not be normally reached through traditional community events.

Check out this year’s 30 Days, 30 Ways promo video and scroll down to learn how to get involved and play…

How do I play?

Anyone can participate in the 30 Days, 30 Ways Preparedness Challenge — in fact, the game has had players in over 44 states and 38 countries — and there are 2 ways to play this year…

You can complete any task, any time as long as they are submitted by midnight on Sept 30th.

You may enter as often as you like.

Weekly Challenges:

This Year there will be 4 Weekly Challenges posted each Monday.

You have until the following Sunday evening at Midnight Pacific Time to submit your entry.

These Bonus Challenges will judged by a team of Emergency Management Coordinators at CRESA for creativity, relativity to the topic, popularity and how best it answers the overall theme of the game.

What can I win?

The number of winners and Amazon Gift Card prizes are based on the funds donated for this game. If you’d like to contribute to the #30Days30Ways crowdfunding campaign, visit their 30Days30Ways 2015 Preparedness Challenge page. (Any amount is helpful and all money donated goes directly into prizes awarded to those participating in the challenge.)

For over a dozen years we have discounted our disaster preparedness and first aid manual up to 75% off the $14.99 list (or $3.50 U.S. each + freight) for agencies, nonprofits, volunteers, schools and others, but unfortunately rising costs have been piling up the past few years.

Freight costs for ground shipments typically average about 50 cents per book plus there are handling charges and other fees we’ve absorbed for groups over the years.

New pricing (but not just yet)

To offset some of these costs we need to raise our prices a little bit, and we want to simplify things for everyone going forward so…

As of July 2015 our 266-page IT’S A DISASTER! paperback (either standard red books or custom printed ones in bulk) will be $4.50 U.S. each delivered* (70% off list on 10 copies & up).

We still provide FREE customization ~ either with peel & stick labels on our standard red books … or … you can personalize covers and first 12 full color glossy pages in the print process on 1,000 units and up.

And if you want to upgrade your order to add 48 to 288extra full color glossy pages (up to 300 custom pages in front / back), the upgrade price is $7.00 U.S. each delivered*. * = Note: Delivered price in continental U.S.

And as before, custom CDs and flash drives are unique ways to distribute this life-saving data using our 280-page ebook and pricing depends on quantity needed and size of media needed.

HOWEVER… since September is National Preparedness Month and 9/30 is America’s PrepareAthon, we plan to honor the lower$3.50+ freight price for our 266-page book (either standard red books [10 copies & up] or custom books [1,000 units & up]) … or $5.50 delivered price for larger, upgraded custom versions through October 2015.

Basically all you need to do is ask for the old price and we’ll give it you!

Books make great educational giveaways for employees, volunteers, members, customers and local communities, and our customizable tool can help clear out leftover grant dollars that are time sensitive.

Also … groups needing smaller quantities can always purchase our standard red books and personalize them with free peel & stick labels. We can ship red books and custom labels within 24 hours of your order anytime so you don’t have to wait for a custom print.

Learn more about free customization, view some samples or call Fedhealth at 1-888-999-4325 (and mention you’d like our old price!)

Also feel free to download a free mini ebook portion of our IT’S A DISASTER! book and scroll down or call Fedhealth at 1-888-999-4325 (in U.S. or Canada) to learn more.

Funding ideas for volunteers, schools & youth groups

Keep in mind a creative way to raise funds for groups and get preparedness data out to local communities is to partner up with local Chambers, Rotary Clubs, Jaycees or others and sell ads inside books. Encourage businesses to include discounts or freebies on products and services to help incentivize the public and save them money on supplies and daily needs like groceries, dry cleaning, car repairs, lawn care and more!

Total funds leftover for project = $152,500 … and more funds could be raised by collecting more per ad, offering premium placement on covers, etc. And share funds with your Chamber or Rotary partners so everyone benefits!

Note: A $750 ad is only 15 cents per book that goes into 5,000 homes.

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And, if you do above example between now and Oct 2015, you could get the old $5.50 delivered book price mentioned above and save $2,500!

Learn more about these funding ideas … and, if you know an agency, nonprofit, school, church, Scout troop, or volunteer group who could benefit from our preparedness book and/or funding ideas, please have them visit www.fedhealth.net or call Fedhealth at 1-888-999-4325 for more information.

In honor of National Preparedness Month, we wanted to share some Fedhealth specials and ideas in case they can help with your public education campaigns and efforts during NPM and throughout the year.

Special NPM Pricing

We are discounting our price on our 266-page IT’S A DISASTER!books to over 50% off list (or only $7.00 each) on ANY quantity purchase now through September 30, 2014. (Note, our ebook is only $2.50.)

Our book price price is always deeply discounted (70% off or $4.50 each) in support of our grant and funding programs. (Price updated as of 2015)

Our disaster preparedness and first aid manuals make great gifts for employees, volunteers, family members, friends and communities, and books can be customized for free to include logos and special messages to recipients. Plus we will donate 10% to 30% of orders back to our partners and others helping spread the word. Learn more or call Fedhealth at 1-888-999-4325 (US or Canada).

Creative Public-Private Partnership programs

Many times agencies and volunteer groups want to purchase IT’S A DISASTER! books for local volunteers and citizens, but they don’t have any money in their limited budgets. Plus nonprofits, schools and First Responders are always looking for ways to raise money. So ~ a creative way to get local businesses involved is to sell advertisements or acknowledge sponsorship inside books (or eBooks) … and Fedhealth will print the ads and other data for FREE and throw the value in as “match” on your paperwork.

Groups can collect anything you can for ads or sponsorship … take cash, lines of credit, barter or trade (whatever you can get) … and keep it all since Fedhealth prints them for free..! It’s a whole community approach to resilience and preparedness. Learn more about our collaborative Public-Private Partnership ideas.

School / Youth Group Fundraisers

A great way for schools and youth groups to participate in September’s National Preparedness Month is to use our preparedness book as a fundraiser (and collaborate with local Chambers, Rotarys and others to get discounts and freebies for the public) and earn 10% – 100% profits while educating local communities! Learn more

Use up those leftover federal grant dollars

Many Federal grants close out September 30th so if your agency or nonprofit has dollars that need to be spent before a certain deadline, please consider using customizable IT’S A DISASTER! books to commit those funds. Our book qualifies as community education on grants providing almost a $4-to-$1 return on match. Learn more or call Fedhealth at 1-888-999-4325.

September is National Preparedness Month(NPM or #NatlPrep) and we – along with a coalition of thousands of private, public and nonprofit organizations – are encouraging businesses, groups, schools and families to take time to help your community get better prepared for disasters and emergencies of all kinds.

Below are some creative projects and ideas that other organizations are doing (or have done) in case these could benefit your preparedness campaigns.

A key goal is to come up with fun and educational ways to get kids and adults involved..!

Some examples of NPM activities

During National Preparedness Month FEMA and Ready organizers are asking Americans to take action by planning a National PrepareAthon! Day on or around September 30th. America’s PrepareAthon! encourages millions of people to focus on simple, specific activities like hazard-specific drills, group discussions, and exercises that will increase preparedness.

Join the America’s PrepareAthon! campaign and register to participate in the September 30 national day of action. Once you register you have access to guides, social media tools, and customizable materials you can use during drills or exercises on 9/30 and year-round. The key is turning knowing into doing!

This is the 5th year of the 30 Days, 30 Ways Preparedness Challenge, in honor of National Preparedness Month. This game has grown exponentially over 4 years with over 10,000 preparedness tasks being completed. In the past, CRESA have relied on community donated prizes which have come in all shapes & sizes. This year, organizers want to reward players with $10-25 Amazon Gift Cards which are easier to share across the globe and don’t require shipping costs to their agency.

Entries are no longer being accepted for the APHA’s Get Ready Tips from Tots Photo contest but they will be announcing the winners in September, so stay tuned for some baby cuteness. Winners will be featured in a Get Ready calendar. Visit APHA’s baby photo gallery

The Emergency Kit Cook-Off challenges you to find creative use for the three day’s worth of food and potable water that you squirreled away for the family in case of an emergency. The Emergency Kit Cook-Off offers the public two ways to participate—1) vote on ingredients and 2) submit a recipe.

Another way to support your community is to join a local Citizen Corps , CERT or Medical Reserve Corps … or call your city or county Emergency Management, Fire, Police, Health or Sheriff Department and ask about volunteer opportunities. Or talk to your local Salvation Army or Red Cross office … and get involved!

Learn more about National Preparedness Month at www.ready.gov/september and encourage your families, friends, co-workers and communities to take action to prepare!

Yes … you read that right. Our upgrade option now allows agencies, businesses and organizations to add up to 288 extra color glossy pages in our IT’S A DISASTER! books for a total of 300 customizable pages..!

Our regular 266-page manual provides tips on what people should think about and do before, during and after specific types of emergencies and disasters, as well as how to administer basic first aid.

Both the public and private sectors have been using our preparedness books (and ebooks, CDs and flash drives) for volunteers, employees, customers and local communities since 1999.

We customize books in the print process on 1,000 unit (& larger) orders and the covers and first 12 pages can be personalized at no additional charge.

And if you want 48 to 288 extra full color glossy pages, the upgrade price is $7.00 U.S. each and includes free customization and free freight within 48 contiguous U.S. states.

It’s a great Public-Private Partnership tool

FEMA believes that every community benefits from public-private collaboration in emergency management, and our company’s products are perfect Public Private Partnership tools.

Groups can partner with local Chambers, Rotary Clubs, Local Emergency Planning Committees, UASIs, VOADs, grocery, discount and hardware stores and others … and encourage them to place full color ads inside books for day to day goods and services. Consider collecting ridiculously LOW prices to advertise and remind advertisers and sponsors that books will STAY in the home year round (unlike many other forms of print advertising). And, if paperbacksare filled with coupons, QR codes and savings on things like groceries, preparedness supplies, lawn care, haircuts, dry cleaning and more, the public (and advertisers) will look forward to new versions of the book year after year.

The goal is to use this customized “tool” to encourage and incentivize people to keep your custom book around so they will constantly reference the data. A great way to do that is to fill the paperback full of coupons and savings on every day products and services from your local partners. Basically we are “buying the public’s engagement” while helping whole communities prepare for the unexpected, plus it’s a great way for groups to raise funds.

Use the color glossy pages to build and expand public-private partnerships and offer coupons and savings to motivate and engage the public while raising funds for volunteers or projects.

Funding examples

Say a nonprofit or volunteer group (like a CERT) wants 1,000 custom books with a 48-page color glossy section added (total of 60 custom bound pages) and collects $200 for each 1/4-page ad…

Sell 50 1/4-page ads: $200/ad x 4 ads/pg x 50 pgs = $40,000

Cost for 1,000 books with 48 extra color glossy pages = $7,000

Total funds leftover for nonprofit/CERT = $33,000 … and more funds could be raised by collecting more per ad or offering premium placement on outside color covers, inside covers, use some more color pages for ads, etc.

Now let’s say a Region or association/Rotary wants 50,000 custom books with 288 extra color glossy pages and collects $5,000 for each full page ad…

Sell 288 pgs of full pg ads: $5,000/ad x 288 pgs = $1,440,000

Cost for 50,000 books w/ 288 extra color glossy pgs = $350,000

Total funds leftover for Region/Assoc/Rotary = $1,090,000 … and more funds could be raised by collecting more per ad or offering premium placement on outside color covers, inside covers, use more pages for ads, etc.

Note: A $5,000 ad is only 10 cents per book that goes into 50,000 homes..! That’s cheaper than a postcard … plus a576 page book STAYS around.

Please realize we have to bundle 1,000 unit & up custom jobs together and print minimum 20,000 books at a time several times a year. Also … we can do multiple versions of books for projects (1,000 & up per version) so you can customize covers and pages by area, county, division, agency, etc.

NOTE: We are doing acustom print early Augustso books are ready for National Preparedness Month.

And remember, in small quantities and on rush orders we can always customize our “standard” red books with free peel and stick labels.